


To Find You

by redheadnerdrage



Series: Finding You [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Death Cab For Cutie references, First shot at a Reylo fic, Inspired by Music, Lord Huron references, Please Don't Hate Me, Rey's POV, all aboard the fluff train
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 21:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15155879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redheadnerdrage/pseuds/redheadnerdrage
Summary: Music has a strange way of having you meet someone you may have never met otherwise.





	To Find You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tomorrowthestars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomorrowthestars/gifts).



> So I was in my car driving one night and "You've Haunted Me All My Life" came on my shuffle playlist and as I drove, I thought, "This would probably make a damn good Reylo fic..." and to life came this. This will be a "two-parter" (but both being standalone, so no need to read both if you don't want), but I'll try to upload the other piece ASAP.
> 
> Shout out to the AMAZING reyloandotherfandoms on tumblr (also known as tomorrowthestars here on AO3 -- go follow and subscribe now!) for reviewing this first Reylo fic of mine and giving me pointers/catching mess ups/and giving me advice on what I could potentially cut. 
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy!

* * *

 

 

I never intended on coming to the bar tonight, but after my experience last night at open mic night and it turning out to be quite a lot of fun, it honestly just feels like the place to be again. I’m not a singer or songwriter by any means, but I can play a few tunes on the guitar and I can sing well enough to get me by or win a couple of gift cards during karaoke or open mic nights… So, I guess it panned out alright.

 

I just moved to this quaint little neighborhood in Washington, D.C. a few months ago, but I’m not from here originally. I grew up out west in the middle of a desert town, but I’d always wanted to be in a bigger city and D.C. seemed just big enough for me with plenty of things to do but still small enough where I wouldn’t be too terribly overwhelmed.

 

Flash forward to tonight and I find myself in probably one of the smallest but most welcoming bars I’ve yet to stumble upon. I flash a smile at Maz and take my usual seat in the corner at the bar top where I’ve got a pretty good view of the stage, but away from the crowd of tables. A tall, broad, dark haired man is sitting on a stool with an acoustic guitar in his large hands and lap, picking at a few strings and getting warmed up before his set is supposed to start.

 

“Guess I did come here for Thursday night local music…” I think to myself before Maz comes up to me.

 

“The usual, my dear?” She’s got a sly smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye like she knows something I don’t.

 

“You know me so well, Maz, thanks.” I flash a grin at her and she turns to grab my favorite local brew.

 

She comes back and places it on a paper coaster in front of me and I take my first refreshing sip of the evening, still eyeing the guy on stage.

 

“Hey, Maz, who is that guy exactly?”

 

“Oh, him? That boy goes by Kylo Ren on stage, but between you and me, his name is Ben.”

 

“Kylo? What kind of name is that?”

 

She lets out a hearty laugh at my comment before explaining, “He and his parents were very much into the fantasy story, Star Wars. He said it’s based off one of the characters.”

 

“Hmm... well that’s interesting, I suppose. He does look like a Ben.”

 

“Something caught your eye there, dear?”

 

I sputter back a sip of my drink at her question, immediately thinking of any excuse I possibly can, “No, no, no, no. I’m nowhere near settled down enough to consider dating anyone at this point in my life.”

 

“Whether you’re ready or not dear, isn’t the problem, Fate works in mysterious ways you know…”

 

She walks away polishing a freshly washed glass as she tends to her other patrons.

 

The man on stage suddenly clears his throat as he reaches forward for the mic stand to pull it closer to him.

 

“Hi everyone, I’m Kylo Ren, and thanks for joining me here tonight at Kanata’s. Though if we’re honest, I’m sure you’re probably here for a cold one and Maz’s company, but thanks for being here and listening to me anyways.” He pauses and plucks at a few chords on his guitar, “Now, I don’t usually go for bands quite like this, but after hearing one of their tunes played last night at open mic night here, I caught myself at home listening to them and stumbled upon this song and figured… why not. Maybe she’ll be here again tonight to hear this.”

 

He flashes a toothy grin and takes a deep breath and begins playing chords on the guitar again…

 

_You have haunted me all my life_

_Through endless days and countless nights_

_There was a storm when I was just a kid_

_Stripped the last code of innocence_

_You’ve haunted me all my life_

_You’re always out of reach when I’m in pursuit_

_Long winded then suddenly mute_

_And there’s a flaw in my heart’s design_

_For I keep trying to make you mine_

_You’ve haunted me all my life_

_You’ve haunted me all my life_

_You are the mistress I can’t make a wife_

_And you’ve haunted me all my life_

“This is Death Cab For Cutie… I played a song of theirs last night… is he… talking about me?”

 

I’m pretty positive I’m staring at this point, but his voice and the way he so easily plays the notes and chords are possibly the most beautiful things I’ve heard to date. I’m enraptured by this absolute stranger, and all I’m thinking of is how I want to hear him keep singing and playing his guitar.

 

_And so I wait but I never seem to learn_

_How to capture your diminishing returns_

_I still see you through the eyes of a child_

_Not even thinking we could tame the wild_

_You’ve haunted me all my life_

_You’ve haunted me all my life_

_You are the mistress I can’t make a wife_

_You are the mistress I can’t make a wife_

_And you have haunted me all my life_

_You’ve haunted me all my life_

_You’ve haunted me all my life_

_You are the mistress I can’t make a wife_

_And you’ve haunted me all my life_

He finishes the song and softly smiles as he looks out into the crowd, his eyes searching. They finally land on mine and I could swear, nothing else in this bar existed. It’s like my breathing had simply stopped, and all I could hear was the pounding of my heart and could only see this dark haired, brown-eyed man.

 

His smile gets a bit wider, and I know I’ve fallen for it already, and already recognize within me that there isn’t much I wouldn’t do to continue seeing that toothy smile.

 

He finally looks away and clears his throat as the small crowd’s clapping finally subsides.

 

“Thank you, everyone. I’ve got a couple more to play you tonight, then I’ll be heading out early.”

 

A few patrons clap again, but quiet down once he resumes playing.

 

I’m still awestruck when Maz cuts me out of my daze by placing her small hand on my arm.

 

“Rey, my dear, here… this drink is on the house since you let your other go warm.”

 

“Thanks, Maz…” I take a sip of the chilled beer, suddenly feeling parched like I’m out in the desert again, “Do you… do you think I should introduce myself?”

 

“My dear, when you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people. I told you… Fate works in mysterious ways… and he usually leaves out of the back door when he’s done.” She throws in a wink at that part and I can’t help but giggle.

 

I stay seated to finish my beer as I listen to the last bits of his second song.

 

_When last I saw her she was dancing all alone_

_Perhaps my chance was then, I’ll never know_

_I’ll search the world until there’s no place left to go_

_And if she leaves it, I will follow_

_Yes, I will follow_

_She lit a fire_

_But now she’s in my every thought_

_She lit a fire_

_But now she’s in my every thought_

_I’ve been through the desert_

_And I’ve been across the sea_

_I’ve been walking through the mountains_

_I’ve wandered through the trees_

_For her_

_I have been trying to find her_

_Want to give what I got_

_She lit a fire_

_But now she’s in my every thought_

_‘This man is going to be the death of me.’_ I think to myself as I stand and grab my leather jacket off the back of the bar stool. I flash Maz a small smile and quick wave, telling her I’ll see her again soon.

 

I slip out of the back door into the alley and cross the small area to lean against the wall facing it.

 

A few minutes later he walks out of the door with guitar case in hand and when his eyes lock on me from across the alley he stops dead in his tracks and a smirk crosses his plump lips that I can see more clearly.

 

“You’re the girl from the crowd…”

 

I can’t help the smirk that crosses my lips in return as I push myself off the wall, “I am. I’m Rey.”

 

“Rey. I – I’m Ben.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Ben. Your performance was something else. Death Cab for Cutie, huh? What made you pick them?”

 

“I think you know the answer to that, Rey. Not many people cover their songs these days. Interesting choice, too, Soul Meets Body… I wonder who you could have sung that for?”

 

“Considering the only brown eyes that have caught my attention would be yours, Ben, I’m inclined to believe it should be about you.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Oh.”

 

After a small chuckle he steps forward and extends his hand to me, “Well, Rey, I’d love to chat with you longer and get to know you. Would you mind accompanying me to a late-night snack at this diner around the corner?”

 

“I would enjoy that, Ben.” I say with a huge smile on my face and graciously take his warm hand in mine, and we turn to walk out of the alley hand-in-hand as he leads me to the diner.

 

I guess Fate really does work in mysterious ways…  


End file.
